To Nintendo’s dismay, a 3DS emulator is now on Android

We all know that Nintendo is not a fan of the emulation community, especially if it’s anything involving the circulation of ROMs/ISOs. And now, there’s yet another thorn stuck in its side—the first 3DS emulator for mobile devices has now been released for Android. This emulator is Citra.

Cirta has been in development for several years now, though a lot of the progress has been happening over on PC. Now, it has migrated to mobile devices, which definitely feels like its more natural habitat.

The emulator has even been able to replicate 3DS features like camera and mic support, along with motion controls. For a more traditional experience, external gamepads are able to be used.

Walking on thin legal ice

While this 3DS emulator is available for free, there is a “premium” version that is also available as an in-app purchase. Now this could potentially give Nintendo the leeway to go ahead and try and throw a legal slap at the team behind Citra, though that’s left to be seen.

Emulation within of itself is not illegal. Where legality really enters the picture when it comes to the distribution of games, as that is copyrighted material. In short, downloading any game from an unauthorized source, even if you own the physical version, is not legal.

Having been introduced to video games at the age of 3 via a Nintendo 64, A.K has grown up in the culture. A fan of simulators and racers, with a soft spot for Nintendo! But, he has a great respect for the entire video game world and enjoys watching it all expand as a whole.